


Everyone Knew

by orphan_account



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 03:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knew about Nick and Greg, though none of them ever spoke about it directly, in case Ecklie caught wind. At least, everyone knew until Riley Adams came along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everyone Knew

The exact nature of the relationship between Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes was something that no one at the lab ever talked about. Sure, they had all found out one way or another, and they all saw things that couldn't be explained as just friendship, but no one addressed the issue directly. They all knew that, if Ecklie found out, the two would be put on separate shifts, giving them almost no chance to see each other. And they were all their friends, even Hodges, and none of them wanted to split up the two of them. They were used to seeing muted displays of affection – a squeeze of the hand, a lingered brush of the arm – and none of them really took any notice of it anymore. It was so normal, so natural, that it just felt like it was supposed to be there.

.-.

Warrick Brown wasn't stupid, he knew that the feelings between his two friends weren't all platonic when he had 'guys nights' with them. The two showed up in the same car, and Nick and Greg would sit almost in each other's laps when they played video games, shoving and poking each other teasingly. Sure, they did it to Warrick too, sometimes, but those two were almost constantly touching. When they played pool, Nick would keep his eyes on Greg's ass when he shot, as opposed to the actual pool table, and vice versa. When they watched football or baseball games on the TV, Greg and Nick would sit on the couch, Greg leaning into Nick's side, Nick's arm around his shoulder, in a comfortable position that implied they had sat like that a lot.

Then there was the fact that Warrick would often leave the room to go to the bathroom, or get snacks from the kitchen, and when he came back, he'd stop in the doorway to see the two men huddled close, whispering to each other, or lip-locked. On those occasions, Warrick just smiled and turned around, making a louder entrance to give them time to break apart, their cheeks tinged pink as their friend played oblivious. And, ignoring all those things, there was the way the two men were so in sync with each other, they could almost always tell what the other needed before they even opened their mouth.

He had heard about couples that claimed to be 'soul mates', that the were completely perfect for each other in every way, but he'd always thought it was bullshit. At least, he had until he'd seen Nick and Greg curled up on his couch together, soon after Nick's kidnapping, with Nick shaking as Greg soothed him, running a hand through his hair and murmuring assurances in his ear, holding him tight while pressing soft kisses on his forehead. After that, he knew his two friends were the closest thing to soul mates there was.

.-.

Catherine Willows wasn't a CSI for nothing; she was observant. Observant enough to realize that some days, Nick wore shirts with slightly higher collars – not quite high enough to cover the dark purple hickeys on his neck – and on those days, Greg could be seen sneaking glances at the Texan, giving him knowing smirks when he thought no one was looking. She also observed that whenever Nick saw Greg flirting with a woman, his fists would clench slightly. It wasn't so bad if it was a woman from the lab, one who already knew that Greg was Nick's and Greg was just joking, but if it was a woman who didn't know, a vein in Nick's temple would tick and he would glare warningly at the woman. And if said woman dared to flirt _back_ , then Nick would get annoyed; his jaw would clench and he would speak in short, choppy sentences, not taking his eyes off Greg, watching in case the woman decided to make a move. Then, when the woman was gone, Nick and Greg would make some excuse to go off somewhere, because Greg _loved_ a possessive Nick. He was getting less obvious, now, but Catherine still saw it.

Same as she saw the way Greg's brown eyes would darken when he saw Nick flirting with a woman outside the lab – he didn't mind if it was someone who knew exactly whose bed Nick went home to at night - and his left eye would twitch. If it was a woman coming on to Nick, something that often happened when interviewing female suspects, Greg would start babbling, eyes fixed on the woman, left eye still twitching. Catherine would watch for a while, then take pity on them and call whoever was being hit on, claiming she had something important to show them. Greg and Nick were like brothers to her, and as much as she found their possessiveness cute, she didn't want them accidentally outing themselves in front of the wrong person.

.-.

David Hodges admitted that he could be pretty nosy at times, but in his opinion, you'd have to be blind or an idiot not to notice there was something going on between Greg and Nick. As all the labs had glass walls, he could see into Greg's lab, and he could see when Nick came in for results. He would read over Greg's shoulder, standing almost flush against his back, and Greg would grin to himself as he read. And Nick spent way more time in Greg's lab than any of the other CSI's, using any excuse to come in and see the crazy lab tech. And when he did turn up at the lab, Greg's eyes would light up and he would get a bright, soppy grin on his face. Then there were the times when the two of them forgot that the lab walls were made of glass, and they would stand close together, having murmured conversations that occasionally ended in a quick kiss or hug.

Hodges knew that the guys at the lab thought of him as an arrogant jerk, and he admitted he was sometimes, but despite that, they all got on well, and he liked to consider Greg and Nick as at least acquaintances, if not friends. And if there was one thing he was, it was loyal, especially to friends. That's why, when he spotted Ecklie coming around the corner, he'd glance over at Greg's lab, and if he and Nick were in a potentially compromising position, he'd wander on over on the pretence of wanting to talk to Greg about something science-y, or just bugging them. Ecklie would walk past, giving them each a stern look, but unable to call them out on anything, and then he'd go back to whatever he had been doing before. Hodges liked Greg and Nick, and he didn't want either of them switched to day shift.

.-.

Gil Grissom knew that, when it came to human emotions and things, he wasn't exactly the best at realizing things. Sure, he was good at figuring out what the suspects were thinking, but as Sara told him sometimes, he could be totally oblivious to matters of the heart. He was a scientist, thus a little socially inept. That's why the matter of Nick and Greg had to metaphorically dance the Macarena in front of him in a purple tutu. It had happened when Greg had been caught in the lab explosion and sent to hospital. Even though Greg wasn't a CSI, he was still part of his team, part of his family. So, he had wanted to stay at the hospital and watch over Greg while he was unconscious, make sure he was okay. The team took turns sitting by Greg's bedside when they were on shift, but when they were off, what was daytime to normal people but night-time for them, they all went home to get some sleep, exhausted after shift. At least, that's what Gil thought.

However, when he got to the hospital, he was directed to Greg's room, only to see Nick sitting by the bedside, his hand in Greg's, head bowed and lips moving as he talked to the sleeping man. The door was slightly ajar, and Gil couldn't resist moving closer to hear what Nick was saying. Curiosity killed the cat, as it were. "You've got to be okay, Greggo, you have to. We need you. I need you. The lab's quiet without you, babe," Gil's eyebrows rose at that, "I haven't gone home yet. I don't think I can. It'll be weird without you sprawled out on the couch watching cartoons. I'm gonna have to go home at some point, my locker's running outa clothes. And Griss will notice that I haven't had proper sleep in a while. But I can't sleep without you, babe, our bed's too big when you're not hogging the blankets and lying half on top of me." Nick chuckled, he still hadn't noticed Gil, who at this point had wide eyes and was gaping slightly as his brain tried to process what he'd just heard.

When he thought it over, though, he realized how blind he'd been. How could he have missed it when, in hindsight, it was so obvious! He was snapped back to reality when Nick shifted in the uncomfortable plastic chair. "So I'm gonna get some sleep, G, and you're gonna wake up soon and be okay. I love you so damn much, I don't know what I'd do if you didn't make it." Nick's voice was choked as he leant over to give Greg a gentle kiss on his lips. Gil backed away from the door, a bewildered look on his face. How had he managed to miss two of his employees getting together under his very nose? He was supposed to report things like this, but Nick and Greg were his friends, as well as valuable members of his team. He trusted them not to let their personal relationship affect their working one.

He smiled softly to himself, glancing back into the room where Nick had laid his head down on the bed next to Greg, the lab tech's hand still in his own. It looked like he wasn't needed here; Greg was in very good hands.

.-.

Sara Sidle didn't have much of a social life outside of work, so her co-workers were good friends of hers. They did spend most of their time together, after all. So they occasionally went out for meals together, or went over to each other's houses. And when she found out that Hank had a girlfriend, and needed a friend to talk to, she drove over to Nick's house. It was 2 in the afternoon, and she knew Nick would probably be asleep, but she hoped he wouldn't mind her visit.

She rang the bell and after a few moments, Nick opened the door in a pair of sleep pants, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand and holding a Jack Russell puppy to his bare chest with the other. Sara raised her eyebrows a little at the sight of the puppy, who yipped when it saw her. Nick stroked its head. "Shush, Harris," he murmured, before looking up at Sara. "Sara, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly, hiding a yawn. Sara immediately felt bad about waking him up.

"It's nothing, really, just some stuff with Hank, sorry for waking you," she said awkwardly. Nick shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine. It's obviously something if you drove out here to talk about it. Come in," he offered, stepping to the side so she could enter. She did so, and he shut the door, putting the puppy on the floor after ruffling his ears. "Go back to bed, puppy. Go on, scoot," he urged gently, nudging the dog in the direction of a doorway. The little dog padded off, and Nick straightened up, giving Sara a smile and leading her through to the living room. She'd never been in there before, and it wasn't what she'd expected. It was painted light blue with black furniture and a light blue carpet, and bookshelves covered one wall, full of various books, DVDs and CDs. There was a large abstract painting on one wall that looked like something she might see under a microscope, surrounded by smaller framed photos of various people. There was one of the team, one of Greg and Nick at a beach somewhere, some of what looked like Nick and his family, and surprisingly, one of Greg and two people that looked like they were his parents. Why did Nick have a picture of Greg and his family in his living room? Nick gestured for Sara to sit down, and she sank onto the comfy black couch with a sigh. Nick sat down beside her, and looked at her, his brown eyes concerned. "So, what's up?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath, and it all came spilling out. About Hank and his apparent long-term girlfriend, about Grissom, and just everything she'd been bottling up over the years. Nick listened attentively, and when she was finished, he smiled. "Feel better now?" he asked, and she smiled back.

"Yeah, actually," she replied. Then she'd heard shuffling footsteps, and none other than Greg Sanders appeared in the doorway, eyes lidded in sleep, hair tousled and Harris the puppy in his arms.

"Nicky, what you doin' up? You left the bedroom door open, Harris decided to come sit on my face. Cheeky puppy." This last comment was directed more towards Harris than Nick, and the puppy just sat in Greg's arms, tongue lolling from his mouth. Nick chuckled. Sara's eyebrows shot up. Bedroom door? And what was Greg even doing here in the first place?

"He gets that from you," Nick replied teasingly, and Greg snorted.

"Does not. Totally all you," he argued sleepily, letting Harris down on the floor, where he trotted to jump into Nick's lap.

"Having a slumber party, boys?" Sara asked evenly, making Greg realize she was there. Both men blushed bright red.

"Sara, hey. Uh…" Greg stuttered, and she giggled.

"It's okay, I get it. Wasn't expecting it, but it's fine. I'm happy for you guys," she said honestly, and Nick audibly sighed in relief. Greg grinned at her, yawning, and came to sit down between her and Nick, leaning back into Nick. The Texan adjusted to make them both comfortable, kissing Greg's temple.

"You should be in bed," he murmured.

"Can't sleep if you're not there. No offence, but why's Sara here?" Greg asked curiously.

"She needed a friend to talk to. You okay now you've got that out of your system, Sara?" Nick asked. Sara nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, thanks. I can go now, I didn't mean to wake you up," she replied, still a little awkward. Nick shrugged.

"No problem. And you can use our guest room if you want, you're tired," he offered.

"Really?" Sara asked, and Greg nodded from his place against Nick's chest.

"Sure, go ahead. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed," he told them, standing up, his fingers twined with Nick's.

"I'll join you in a minute, babe," Nick murmured, and Greg nodded, leaning down to kiss him softly before waving goodnight to Sara and leaving the room. Sara grinned when she saw Nick's goofy smile, and allowed herself to be led to the guest room, before Nick left her, presumably to go back to bed. With Greg. She had to admit, they were an odd pairing, but they were sweet together.

.-.

Archie Johnson was a geek. He knew that. But he wasn't one of those geeks that didn't have a social life outside RPGs and lived in their parents' house. But, being a geek, more specifically a computer geek, with quite a bit of spare time on his hands when at work, occasionally led to him hacking when he got bored. Although he tried to stay away from his colleagues' personal files, there were times when he accidentally opened one. Like now for example. He'd been attempting to hack into Nick's reports, but had ended up opening an IM file between him and Greg. Well, it was open, he may as well read it, he thought with a grin.

_Greg: Hey Nicky, I'm bored._

_Nick: Hey. Don't you have work to do or something?_

_Greg: Nope. You?_

_Nick: Reports. Not exactly the most interesting thing in the world._

_Greg: Fun… BTW, I'm gonna take Harris down to the park when we get off shift. You coming with?_

Archie frowned, confused. Who was Harris?

_Nick: Hmm, maybe. Just keep him on a leash this time, he almost ran under a bike last week._

Oh, Harris was a dog. He didn't know Greg had a dog.

_Greg: Yes mom :P And if you get off before me (;)) could you pick up some cereal on your way home? We're all out._

_Nick: Only because you decided cornflakes were the perfect snack in the middle of the night (well, day, but you know what I mean). Five days in a row. Kept waking me up :(_

Archie's eyes widened. Greg and Nick lived together? Since when?

_Greg: Sorry, babe, I just got hungry. Won't happen again, promise :)_

_Nick: Fine, just so long as you don't start eating toast in bed again. I had toast crumbs in all sorts of uncomfortable places for days! :\_

Archie choked on his coffee. Greg and Nick lived together and slept in the same bed? No way!

_Greg: Yeah… sorry about that :P But I did offer to help find those crumbs in those… uncomfortable places ;)_

_Nick: Yeah. That part was fun :P_

Archie snorted to himself, though his eyes were still wide in shock. Nick and Greg were apparently in a relationship, and living together. Still, wasn't the strangest thing he'd found out when hacking the system.

_Greg: Ooh, I gotta go. Warrick has trace for me :) Have fun with your reports :P Love you xxx_

_Nick: Love you too, G :) xxx_

The conversation ended there, and Archie smiled to himself, glancing over at Greg's lab. The lab tech was spinning boredly on his chair as he waited on the GCMS, his music loud and fast. Archie closed the file, then deleted it, wiping any evidence of it being there. It wasn't likely, but there was a chance someone other than him might find that conversation, and that wouldn't be good for his friends. He made a mental note to keep an eye on their conversations and delete any incriminating ones. Not because he wanted to read the private correspondence, of course not. That would be rude. He also deigned to hint to Greg and Nick that the office IM system wasn't the best place for private conversations. That would be amusing to watch.

.-.

Jim Brass knew he wasn't as smart as the CSIs he worked with. Hell, he didn't think there was anyone who was smarter than those guys. And he knew there were a lot of guys at his precinct who thought the CSIs were just a bunch of nerds. Sure, they were nerds, but they were also damn good investigators, and they wouldn't have gotten half the guys they had without their help. He respected the CSIs, and the lab techs, even if they confused him sometimes. And he could see, plain as day, that Nick Stokes was way too protective of Greg Sanders for their relationship to be that of just friends.

After Greg got blown up, Nick would hover around him, not letting him leave his sight until he absolutely had to go and work. Jim, personally, would have found it annoying, but Greg didn't acknowledge it, just gave Nick a playful glare and a fondly exasperated roll of his eyes, before running a gentle hand down Nick's forearm, almost as if assuring him that he was still there, still okay. Nick would soften up after that, giving Greg an apologetic look and a slight smile as his fingers brushed the lab tech's wrist. That still didn't stop him from doing it all again ten minutes later. Jim liked to think he was good at reading people, and reading those looks the two men shared, he couldn't mistake them for anything but pure love and devotion.

He knew there were a lot of men in their business that thought homosexuality was disgusting, and who would insult and spite Greg and Nick because of their relationship. So he kept his trap shut. Because quite frankly, in his opinion, two people who loved each other as much as Greg and Nick obviously did shouldn't be split up or discriminated against, gender be damned.

.-.

Doc Robbins cut up dead bodies for a living, mostly murdered ones. As such, he liked to think he'd seen just about everything. Nothing really surprised him any more. So when he was approached by Nick Stokes and a nervous Greg Sanders, asking if they could use the couch on his office for something private, he merely raised an eyebrow, but nodded. The two men retreated into his office, and he went back to his work. When they still hadn't come out after half an hour, and he'd finished the autopsy on the body he was doing, he limped over to his office door and knocked, hearing a muffled 'yeah?' before opening.

Greg was laying on his stomach on his couch, his shirt bunched up around his neck, exposing his scarred back, which was inflamed. Nick was sat on the back of Greg's thighs, looking quite comfortable about being so close to his friend's backside, the tube of lotion for Greg's scars in his left hand, his right hand resting on Greg's back comfortingly. Robbins immediately understood why the men needed his couch; Greg's back had obviously been hurting, him, and he'd wanted Nick to apply his lotion. He did find it rather interesting that the young man trusted Nick to apply it, to see his scars. And to his credit, Nick wasn't giving the scars looks of disgust or pity, but compassion and sorrow as he tenderly ran his fingers over Greg's back, massaging in the gel. Greg winced as Nick hit a particularly sore spot, and Nick frowned. "Sorry, G," he murmured apologetically.

"It's fine, just hurts. Thanks for letting us use your office, Doc," Greg added. Robbins smiled.

"No problem, boys. Are you alright, Greg?" he asked in concern. Greg turned his head to give him a strained smile.

"Yeah, fine. Nicky's got it, don't worry," he said with false cheer, only to suck in a sharp breath and flinch slightly.

"Sorry," Nick said again, and Greg rolled his eyes, moving his hand to squeeze Nick's thigh, something Robbins noticed the Texan didn't even blink at.

"I told you, Nicky, stop apologizing. You can't help it, some places are gonna be a little painful, I can handle it. Really. I'm okay," he assured him. Nick sighed.

"I know, G, it's just…" Nick trailed off, and the two men went silent, Greg's hand still squeezing Nick's thigh. Despite the fact that neither of the men were saying anything, or even looking at each other, Robbins felt like he was intruding on a very intimate moment. He quietly shut the door, slipping out of the room, a pensive look on his face as he thought over his previous encounters with the two men, searching for any indication they were more than friends. Because no two friends, no matter how close, could share a moment that tender and that loving. And he did admit, it surprised him.

.-.

Riley Adams was new to the Las Vegas Crime Lab, and so she had no idea about anything concerning the personal lives of her new colleagues. She got along perfectly well with them, although she could sense the hint of underlying resentment that she wasn't Warrick Brown. It was understandable, they had all been close friends. She probably would have felt the same. But they treated her warmly, and there wasn't much hazing the new kid. Plus, Greg Sanders would flirt with her. And he was cute. She was oblivious to the dark looks Nick Stokes would send her way when she flirted back with Greg, but the rest of the lab weren't. She was also oblivious to the knowing grins Catherine sent Greg when Nick dragged him off discreetly, just after he'd flirted with her. But, after a few weeks of flirting, Riley decided to ask Greg out for a coffee after shift.

Of course, she went over this idea with Catherine first, not wanting to make a total idiot of herself. When she told the redhead her idea, Catherine choked a little, then put a hand on her shoulder. "Honey, I'm sorry, and I mean no offence, but Greg flirts with everyone. It's just what he does. And out of all the people in this lab, Greg's one of the most out of bounds people when it comes to dating, right up there with Nick Stokes and Grissom," she told her. Riley frowned; she understood why Grissom, she'd heard all about Sara Sidle, but Nick Stokes was almost as much of a flirt as Greg, how could he be off limits?

"Why?" she asked curiously. Catherine just shook her head.

"Not my place to say. Just trust me, don't ask out Greggo. By the way, you coming to Lindsay's birthday party this weekend?" she asked.

"I didn't know I was invited," Riley replied, surprised. Catherine smiled at her.

"Sure you are, you're part of the team now," she said, before her pager bleeped and she rushed of with an apologetic look.

When it came to the party, Riley turned up with a small present, which she gave to Lindsay when the teen let her in, and went into the kitchen, where Catherine, Greg, Nick, Grissom, Brass, Hodges, Archie, Wendy, Bobby and Mandy were gathered, sitting at the table or leaning against the counters. They greeted her warmly and Catherine gave her a drink, before carrying on with a conversation they'd been having. Lindsay and her friends were in the living room watching a movie, though Riley was assured they would probably come in and start bugging them when it was over. Catherine's words, not hers.

While they were talking, Riley watched the others discreetly. They seemed to all be getting a little tipsy, and when her eyes drew to Greg, as they often did, she saw he was grinning goofily, leaning against the counter next to Nick. The two were very close together, but she paid no attention to that. After an hour or so, the movie ended, and the adults were pestered into coming into the living room. Well, the younger adults were pestered, namely, everyone but Grissom, Brass, and Catherine, who, due to her mother status, was automatically deemed old by her daughter. Nick grinned when Lindsay whispered to him that her friend Jess thought he was hot. "I bet she does," Greg cut in with a smirk, and Lindsay giggled. Nick pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but your friend Jess isn't really my type, you know? But tell her I can tell that boy Tom thinks she's cute," he replied, before shooing her off. Riley was about to ask Nick something, when Grissom called him over. She let it drop, and got back into the party, watching as her colleagues got drunker as the night went on.

Eventually, Lindsay's friends had all gone home, except for three girls who were sleeping over, but the adults hadn't. They were lounging around in the living room, all a little drunk. Riley was only just tipsy, though still sober enough to know what was going on. Others, however, weren't so fortunate. After Greg fell off the couch for the fourth time, giggling hysterically, Nick rolled his shoulders and stood. "I think I should get this maniac home, don't you?" he suggested, gesturing to Greg, who looked up at him.

"Love you, Nicky," he slurred, and Nick smiled at him.

"Love you too, G, but you're hammered, babe. Home time, cuz there is no way in hell I'm dragging your hung-over ass to bed when you've passed out on Cath's couch, you're not exactly light, babe." Riley's eyes went wide at the declaration, and her jaw dropped when Greg reached up, grabbing Nick's collar and pulling him into a deep kiss.

"Aww, Uncle Greg, Uncle Nicky, do you have to do that while my friends are over?" Lindsay asked playfully as she walked into the room, searching a CD rack on the shelf as her friends waited at the doorway, giggling at the display. The two men broke apart, Nick pulling Greg up from the floor and holding him around the waist.

"Sorry, Linds, but he's too hot not to do that, you gotta admit," Greg told her drunkenly. She giggled.

"That's true, but try and keep it in your pants while there's minors in the house, guys. Please?" she teased.

"Language, Lindsay," Catherine called out on reflex, though there wasn't much conviction in the words. Nick rolled his eyes, kissing Greg's temple.

"Will do, Linds. We're gonna head home now, anyway, before this one starts dancing on tables. Happy birthday, honey," he said, kissing her cheek, then moving Greg so he could do the same, ruffling her hair fondly, making her duck away laughing.

"Thanks for coming, guys. And thanks for the presents. See you later, and don't forget to give puppy a kiss from me," she added. Greg grinned.

"Harris isn't a puppy no more, Linds," he reminded her, leaning heavily into Nick's side. Lindsay scoffed.

"He's a puppy to me. Night Uncle Nicky, Uncle Greg," she called, before running back upstairs with her friends. Nick and Greg bid their goodbyes, before leaving. Riley was still gaping, and when she snapped back into it, she turned to Catherine, who was smiling.

"You could have said he was off limits because he was with Nick, Catherine!"


End file.
